Oil Level in Apparatus

In my department ,some think that it is ok to run apparatus between the add and full mark. My thoughts are that this is an emergency piece of equipment and should be kept full all the time. Reason being is that you don't know how long you might be on the next call and if it is full then thats one less thing the operator has to worry about, also if it is kept low then it looses volume which increases oil tempature that also breaks down the oil so it dosen't lubricate properly thus causeing wear on the engine components. I would like to know your thoughts on this. Thanks

Replies to This Discussion

Agree. it says full for a reason and the mark of a a good driver engineer is how you maintain the vehicle. personally i kept the trucks i operated as well as i could and had very little maintennence issues that required the dept mech. to come out. i kept all fluids i needed to in cabnet in the firehouse.

but its the little things that make you a great engineer such as keeping the ice and water fresh in the cooler and the A/c on high in the summer and the heat on in the winter.

one less thing for the guys to have NOT to worry about smooths operations

Always follow the manufacturers recommendations. To not do so may void the warranty. What some think does not matter. Only what the manufacturer states in writing matters. To think otherwise may end up costing your department money that it probably doesn't have in the first place. Play it safe. If it's not written, don't do it. Follow the rules.

What kind of oil is more important than keeping it topped up.
That being said, the "add" line is conveniently located a quart (.946 L) away from the top, or full mark, because we generally buy oil in quarts.
You are correct about keeping it full, as the oil is the life blood of the engine and in the elevated summer temperatures, it's important to keep enough oil in the engine to maintain a low enough operating temperature.

It's better to be fastidious about the oil and keep in full, but there's nothing harmful in letting it drop to the "add" mark, as long as it doesn't drop below it.
As was stated, too much oil is not a good thing, either.
Oil changes are the most significant thing you can do to maintain a good-running, long-life engine.
This is true for anything that has an engine, ie: chainsaws, PPV fans, etc.

If you don't know the correct answer I'd suggest you not post. The area between the add and full is called the normal operating level and I would not add till it reaches that mark.The add make has 2 functions it's designed to allow for uneven ground and gives a standard measure for fill, in a large diesel may be up to 1 gal. Now with that said if you are consuming a lot of oil get it fixed or or get a good insurance policy.

In my Brigade (I'm retired now) it was the drivers responsibility to do a complete check of the appliance at the start of the shift. Any problem, no matter how small, ment the appliance was "off the run" until it was rectified, fluid levels included.
Failing to do so was negligence and could bring the disciplinary code down on your head if discovered.
If you were assigned as driver for the shift as soon as roll-call was done you did your mainenance checks. Only if the bells went down at that point was it permissable to postpone them.

Excellent reply Trainer. When I drove truck OTR I was always instructed by the fleet mechanics not to add oil or tranny fluid if automatic tranny until it hit the add mark. Keeps everything at the right level and not overfilled which can actually damage an engine or tranny more than not having enough. As long as it's in normal range, usually denoted with either a checkerboard pattern or notches on the dipstick, it's fine. Read the owners manual or operators manual it will tell you the same thing.